


Albatross

by Sunshineditty



Category: Firefly, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, crossover fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-10
Updated: 2013-06-17
Packaged: 2017-11-20 19:24:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/588812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunshineditty/pseuds/Sunshineditty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The tale of Captain Derek Hale and his merry band of space outlaws who take on two brothers - Isaac and Genim - which bring a whole new set of problems they've never encountered before.</p><p> </p><p>  <i>Take my love, take my land</i><br/><i>Take me where I cannot stand</i><br/><i>I don't care, I'm still free</i><br/><i>You can't take the sky from me</i><br/><i>Take me out to the black</i><br/><i>Tell them I ain't comin' back</i><br/><i>Burn the land and boil the sea</i><br/><i>You can't take the sky from me</i><br/><i>There's no place I can be</i><br/><i>Since I found Serenity</i><br/><i>But you can't take the sky from me...</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Since the show didn't ever provide translation for the Chinese phrases they used, neither did I. They are, however, ones I lifted from the show, so if they're used incorrectly, don't blame me!

Hale groaned and gently cradled his head in his hands, wishing he could tell the Gorram bell-ringer to just stop with the noise. He squinted a little, hoping it really was dark and not his eyesight failing him.

“It ain't nothing but the concussion talkin', Sir, I'm a sorry to say.”

Hale startled badly, his head jerking back at the slightly amused voice to his right. “Boyd?”

“In the flesh.”

“Ta ma de! If you're here with me, who's running the Beacon?” He growled as a horrible thought occurred to him. “Jacks? Wuh de ma. He'll have her sold in the time it takes to land.”

The creak of his shipmate's leathers as he shrugged were loud in the dark, but comforting nonetheless because it was a sound Hale had heard for nigh on seven years now. Plus it signaled whomever or whatever had 'napped them hadn't stripped them raw either.

“I dunno, Hale. We were taken dirt-side, so the Beacon's probably parked where we left her.”

“That's comfortin'. Patience ain't got a lot of patience, ya know? Who's to say she ain't gonna take it outta my hide by taking my ship?”

“Possibly. Or she could just shoot you again.”

“Is that _all_ you people talk about? I ain't even grudgin' on her for that one. It was years ago!”

“Hale, you know women have long memories and outlaws even longer arms. This coulda been set up by her.”

The captain heard the tremor of concern beneath the calm practical tones of his corporal and nodded, instantly wishing he hadn't as pain spiked through his forehead. It was possible Whitefall's Mayor had traded them to the Alliance in return for them to leave the little Border planet alone, but it seemed too pat, too simple an explanation.

And simple wasn't exactly how their luck was runnin' these days.

“Gorram Tams. Somehow this is their fault.”

The protracted silence didn't make him feel any better neither; instead, it let the whirling bad and terrible and worse ideas creep even harder until they burrowed into his already sore noggin.

“Captain, I said they was trouble since the day they boarded.”

“Shi, I know. Just...” Hale trailed off, fingers massaging the divot between his furrowed brows.

“Just ain't your style; especially seein' as Isaac carried family.”

Memories swirled wetly and Hale closed his eyes against the burn.

_The large white container opened with a whoosh, cold steam hiding the contents for a moment. Hale was sure this was drugs or something equally horrible for the Alliance to send an operative after Isaac, but even he was shocked when the air cleared enough to see a boy curled up like a babe in the womb._

“ _Oh,” he muttered, unaware of the others for a moment. Rage seared him as an even worse picture formed in his mind: the Border planets were colonies of the Central Planets, true, but they were also so far out of the reach of normal Alliance patrols, they were allowed to police themselves. Boys and girls of a certain age were currency in the seedier sectors of the 'verse, and a man on the run had needs to be met._

“ _If you think for one Gorram minute I'm gonna let you use this -”_

_Hale's righteous indignation was cut short when hysterical screaming started and the boy popped out of his position like some demented jack-in-the box. He stumbled away from the container back towards the crew and passengers. Isaac, shaken from his stupor, strode past the captain and fell to his knees before the boy._

_The boy was crouched with his long skinny legs clutched to his chest and arms wrapped around his knees. He didn't seem to see any of them, too locked in whatever his mind was replaying, his screams echoing loudly in the large cargo bay._

_Isaac didn't hesitate to tug the balled boy into his arms, rocking back and forth while saying, “Genim! Genim, stop this. It's me, Isaac. I have you, baby boy, I have you. I promise!”_

“ _No, no, no,” Genim cried, “I gotta get out, fly free, haha, free, into the black.”_

“ _We're safe now, we're safe.”_

_The naked crying boy clutched the long-sleeved arms tenderly tucked around him, tears streaking his uncomprehending face._

“ _They'll touch me again; their cold hands. They'll tear us apart...”_

_Isaac's bright blue eyes clenched shut with the force of the agony etched across a suddenly old face, his tousled blond curls damp with sweat._

“ _No, Genim, we're safe, I got you away from them. We're in space not on the ground. I promise you, we're safe.”_

_Hale couldn't take his eyes off the long silvery scars striping Genim's back, proof something terrible had been done to him._

“ _What the hell is this?”_

_Isaac didn't look away from the boy when he said, “This is my brother.”_

“You can't blame yourself for this, sir. You told Isaac the day they became too much of a burden, you'd tell them to walk. It was their time.”

Hale started to nod, but checked himself because he didn't want to bother his head again, and because he knew Boyd wouldn't see the gesture anyway. Something burned, deeper and older than the current situation accounted for, but he'd be damned if he'd name it.

“That's neither here nor there now. What we need to be worried on is how in three Gorram Hells we're getting out of here. You slacking on your duties, Boyd.”

“Yes, sir, you're so right. Let me get right on that. I mean, being tusseled and tied after knocked dizzy and thrown into a black pit is a mere inconvenience.”

“I'm glad we're seeing eye to eye.”

 “Your humor is 'preciated as always.”

The silence that fell after their jawing was comfortable and worn, a hold over from their time in the trenches together. They couldn't escape, not really, and both knew it, but it felt right and proper to at least noise about like they could. Hale reached out and out and out until he came against Boyd's bulk, fingers brushing up and down until he located the other man's hands. They were tied behind his back and the restraints wound around his whole upper body until it peaked at his throat, the ends curled inward so it formed a dangerously sharp point against his Adam's apple. He couldn't tell by feeling what they used as restraints, though he could at least tell the material was stronger and slippery than baling wire. Either way, it showed foresight on their captor's part because his Corporal couldn't do much without use of his upper body, and any fast motion would send the stake through his throat.

Boyd's laughter after Hale's long-winded cursing should've sounded strange, but here in the unrelenting dark, so unlike the black of outerspace, made him feel as if things weren't too badly off. Five Hells, they'd gotten out of worse before and would do so again.

This cheery thought was front and center in his brain right up until the door opened, light spilling in from the hallway and backlit the person standing in the doorway.  The shadows made it hard to clearly see who was there so Hale did what Hale does best: talked.

"We outta talk about this, you know? I mean, it just ain't right you takin' honest workin' folk right afore they go off-planet." He was still betting on the supposition Patience hadn't sold him out - she was more the kind to take it out of his hide personally instead of through a third party - so he figured he could fake it until they made it. _It should work_. _Right?_ "Now if you let us go now, there'll be no hard feelins' and you go your way and we'll go ours."

"Interesting thought, Captain Hale, but sadly I'll have to decline you're very generous offer."

Hale could feel Boyd stiffening against him, clearly recognizing the silky tone caressing each word. Too bad the wall was far enough away he couldn't slam his head against it, thereby causing a blackout and allowing him the opportunity to avoid what was promising to be a very horrible time starting as soon as their captor stopped talking. Oh yes, the talking always stopped right before the screaming began.

"Ni ta ma de. Tianxia suoyoude ren. Dou gaisi."

“Well said, but you  _do_ realize you're including yourself in the curse, right?"

"If me dying takes you to the Five Hells with me, it's a curse well spent!"

"Now, now, dear one, one would think you weren't happy to see me."

"You'd be right," Hale muttered beneath his breath, but he didn't need to look to see their captor had heard his words. _Freaky devil hearing!_

"As charming as always. Now lets get down to brass tacks, k? I need some information that you boys possess; this doesn't need to get ugly. In fact, just give me what I want and you'll be let go, easy peasy lemon squeezy."

The offer sounded too good to be true and probably was.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing you have on that delightful hunk of space crap you call a ship, unfortunately. Your crew is all unharmed and will continue to be as long as you cooperate.

"There's no call ta being insultin' a man's ship!"

' _That's_ what you're focusin' on right now, sir?"

"Boyd, there's insultin' and then there's being Gorram _insultin'_."

"My how the two of you haven't changed, it's wonderful." The voice turned from saachrine sweet to hard edged. "But time's a wasting. Give me the information and we'll all go home happy."

"Well, I ain't heard nothing but insults, so I can't help ya yet."

He didn't need to see upturned lips on his captor's face to get a bad feeling. Anything that makes the devil smile will make an angel weep - not that Hale cottoned to any religious talk, you see, but a saying's a saying regardless of where it came from.

"Now all you need to give me is the location of the last place you dropped off the Laheys. And yes, I mean _both_ Laheys. I have it on good authority Isaac somehow managed to spring his brother from the very special school they send all the good little Central Core Planets' geniuses to. Now normally I wouldn't _dream_ of interfering with family -" here Hale couldn't help but snort "-but the bounty is very large on their heads. Of course, more if they're captured alive, but these things happen especially on the out of way planets unlawful folk such as yourselves like to frequent, so doubtful they'll question much if one or both comes back in caskets."

Boyd didn't say a word, nor would he, but Hale knew he wanted to sing their last known destination from the top of his lungs. His woman was among those captured on the ship and he needed to ensure her safety; Five Hells, Hale would rather gut himself than hurt Boyd _or_ Lydia because they were family. The Laheys, despite their time on the Beacon, hadn't earned his loyalty in the same way the others had.

“I got your word my people won't be hurt?”

“My words to God's ears.”

Shame tasted heavy on his tongue as “Planet Beaumonde” fell from his lips in an almost breathless exhale. He didn't know why it should be since defeat was a common enough experience for him, running on the outside of the law as he did. He wasn't breaking any pacts, secret or otherwise, and he knew no one on the Beacon would fault him for giving up the brothers. They'd caused more trouble in the past six months than anything the outlaws had managed to get into in the past six _years_.

The hand that ruffled his hair caused an audible growl to rise to his throat. He hated being touched, especially by blood-drenched hands. His weren't any better, but at least he knew what they'd done last.

“Good boy, and for your reward, I'll let your people go. I'll even transport you and Boyd back to home sweet home.”

Hale kept still because the other shoe hadn't dropped yet.

“It'll be fun flying with you again.”

“Uh, what?”

“You didn't think I'd _actually_ take the word of an outlaw, did you? I mean, I know you have a twisted sense of honor which precludes you from lying outright, but I've known you long enough to realize you can skirt the truth without bothering your conscience any.”

“So...?”

“So, you will fly me to Beaumonde and help me track down the Laheys.”

Yup, the other shoe had dropped now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Truth is honey tucked into the hollows of his mouth as he dances to the music of the cosmos.

Isaac knelt next to the injured miner's bed, his hair slicked with sweat and his clothes stiff with blood. The man on the bed, however, would live. It was the only outcome he would accept and had fought like a Gorram hellrat to make sure it would come true.

"He's going to die anyway, Izzy. The disease is rotting away inside him, ya know."

The silky tone wasn't menacing or wondering, for once, but  _knowing_ and Isaac hated it even more for that surety. He was a doctor not a God, but the speaker spoke like a Shepherd with the Word.

"Who says I haven't cut it out of him?"

"He's black and blue and red inside, the maze of life is being run by Death, and He's gonna win. You know it."

Isaac stared up at his little brother, naked but for a slip of white wrapped around his hips, and scowled. "Put on some clothes!" It wasn't what he meant to say, but it would do for now.  The unlined forehead creased with a slight wrinkle as Genim puzzled over his tone; sometimes the clarity assailed him and he was mentally sound. When Genim made his pronouncements (which were too often true), however, he sailed along the edges of the black no one could see except for him.  This was obviously one of those days.

"I'm wearing my skin now, can't see my veins and muscles any more," he declared, holding out his spindly arms and legs for inspection. The frown had transformed into a pout as he stared down at the expanse of pale flesh exposed to the dim lighting in the miner's home. Fortunately for Isaac, the townspeople were used to Genim's eccentricities (he refused to name it madness though it was whispered in the darkness of the night), and treated him like the child he was purported to be instead of the age he'd actually lived to; Isaac truly hoped none would be the wiser and learn what a weapon his brother was crafted into. It wouldn't end well for anyone involved.

Suddenly Genim's head snapped up like a wolf scenting the wind and he half-turned towards the open door, eyes sharpened with a stillness Isaac had learned to fear and distrust. Nothing ever good came of that expression. He wanted to reach out, tug his baby brother into his embrace and shield him from whatever was coming, but experience was a harsh mistress and he didn't want any injuries. No one touched him like this,  _no one_. 

 _Except for one_ , his mind taunted, and Isaac grimaced at the thought,  deeply thankful there was no options left. He hadn't wanted to be abandoned like unwanted refuse on the barren surface of Beaumond, though in the past few months he'd come to see what a good thing it really was.  _For you maybe_. It was a truth he refused to face and disregarded all evidence to the contrary; his brother wasn't worsening on this backwater planet. He was merely stressed by the upheaval in their lives and would soon return to the lucidity he'd displayed when on the  _Beacon Hills_. 

"They're here! They're here!"

"Who is?"

"Why the raiders of course. They need more meat and slaves." The smile slashed across Genim's face was childlike in its wonder and simplicity, and so unlike him that Isaac couldn't concentrate on his words for a moment until it penetrated his absorption.

"Raiders?"

"The Reavers are breaking cloud cover and will be here soon."

Terror suffused Isaac at Genim's words, and he couldn't move for a full moment. Before he'd boarded a bandit ship, he'd never thought of Reavers as more than myths and legends, bogeymen the Border Planets had dreamed up to explain the unexplainable, but in his time spent in the black, he'd learned more than he needed to about the so-called raiders. Isaac's hands trembled as he groped for his medical kit, mind whirling as he tried to come up with an escape plan.

"We need to warn the town, go the center and ring the bell."

"But why? It's already too late; they'll be landing by the time we get there."

And it was true. The miners were secluded in a dale not far from the mine that chipped years from their lives with the same precision as their picks tore apart the earth for her secrets. The town lay across the mountain range in another valley nearly a half-day's ride from here, so there was no easy fast path there without a ship or land-schooner. Isaac wasn't used to feeling helpless, a man raised in the civilized galaxy, but since learning about his brother's  _real_ fate, he'd been a compass without a True North. This shouldn't be any different except he  _needed_ a win in the worst way.

"We can protect these men and women here! We need to get them to the mines."

Even now, however, Genim was shaking his head, that strange smile still curving his full lips. The months here had changed their habits and now instead of a smooth bald head, a full head of dark hair flopped over his scalp. An invisible presence rifled the dark locks like an impatient lover, and Isaac had to divert his mind from  _that_ particular path. 

"They'll blow the mines just for the fun of it," came the sing-song response, even as Genim rose onto his tip-toes and began twirling to music only he could hear. This conversation was the clearest his brother had been in days, and Isaac held onto the ragged edges of his unraveling sibling, determined not to loosen his hold while he could still get a straight answer.

"So what do we do then?"

"Wait for the song, song of the heaven and serenity to come!"

It didn't make sense no matter how Isaac strove to understand, but he gathered his patient and his disintegrating brother, and ushered them into a small basement at the base of the house. Its entrance could only be accessed from outside and it was such a small hole that he hoped, however unlikely, it would be overlooked in the ensuing massacre.

Already the hope for salvation had faded and the worlds-weary doctor merely prayed to whatever deity listening that he and Genim would survive. 

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this came from other than it kept bouncing around in my head while I was trying to sleep. Hopefully once it's written down it will stop haranguing me and let me have some peace and quiet! I obviously took some liberty with the story flow since in the show canon, Whitefall job happened before anything else, but this is how my dream went, so this is how the story goes.


End file.
